SECTION MANAGER REPORT

May 2018

Dan Ringer, K8WV

West Virginia Section Manager

** DID YOU KNOW?

 The ARRL (American Radio Relay League Inc.) has received $23,621.95 in contributions from AmazonSmile as of May 2018. If you make purchases from Amazon, sign up for AmazonSmile and select the ARRL as your supported charity. It’s free!

 ** RADIO SEASON

Well, Xenia (formerly Dayton) is over. Nothing to do now but work on antennas for the winter. Right? NO!

Not only are there more hamfests to be had (details below), but Field Day, the WV QSO Party, and the ARRL State Convention (Jacksons Mill) are ahead!

** WV STATE ARRL CONVENTION

The 2018 WV State ARRL Convention will take place on Saturday, August 24, at Jackson’s Mill, Lewis County.  In addition to the programs, flea market, and auction, the WV State Amateur Radio Council will host ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, as our keynote speaker! Rick will also be present at the President’s Reception on Friday evening, and at the ARRL Exhibit Table in the Flea Market to meet and answer question from the attendees.  The depth of his knowledge about amateur radio and the League is amazing! Also present will be Roanoke Division Director Dr. Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, and Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP! The DX Forum will include Hal Turley, W8HC, and his presentation concerning the Bouvet DXpedition! Truly the State Convention is an opportunity not to be missed! See you there!

 But wait! There’s more!

** WV STATE QSO PARTY

Don’t forget the West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council, WV QSO Party (Celebrating ‘WV Day’) on June 16-17, 2018. Information is on the WVSARC website at http://www.qsl.net/wvsarc/

** FIELD DAY

Field day will be June 23 and 24! Are you going to come out and get bug bites, minor injuries, sometimes questionable food, and about the best time we have all year? As they used to say on television, “Try it! You’ll like it!”

 Don’t know where to go? Check out the official ARRL Field Day Locator at http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator. As of this writing there are only 4 West Virginia locations showing on the Locator Map. But, there will be more! Is your club shown? Check it out! Remember, if your operation is shown on the map, hams, and would be hams in your area can’t find you!

** CLUBS!

Are you looking for a club? Contact Spence Graham, WT8WV@arrl,net. He’s the Section Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC). He’ll hook you up with a club close to you. If there isn’t one, and you’d like to start one, we can help with that, also. Send a list of the Zip Codes in your area to K8WV@arrl.org, and he’ll get you a list of hams living in those codes. You might be surprised how many there are! Don’t know how to organize a club? We can help with that, too, contact K8WV@arrl.org.

** PUBLIC SERVICE

Most newer hams these days tell us that they’ve gotten involved in amateur radio for purposes related to public service. Many older hams also find public service to be one of the most fulfilling aspect of our hobby. Are you involved? GREAT! If not, contact you county EC (Emergency Coordinator). Don’t have on, or don’t know his/her name or call? Contact our SEC (Section Emergency Coordinator), Mike Maxon, W8SI@arrl,net.

Remember, there are changes coming to Amateur Radio Emergency Services! Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, ARRL has suspended registration for EC001, "Introduction to Emergency Communications". Registration was halted on April 30, after ARRL learned that the online platform provider for the course -- Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) -- is being dissolved, effective July 1, according to CTDLC's parent, Charter Oak State College. CTDLC officials cited the fiscal challenges that the Connecticut state college and university system and the state as a whole are facing as the reason for shuttering CTDLC. As plans are made to move the course content to a new delivery platform, ARRL decided to halt registration. Anyone who signed up for the EC-001 session that starts on May 30 will receive a refund. ARRL has been developing new EC-001 content and will intensify the process of selecting a new platform to deliver it. (From the “ARRL Letter,” May 3, 2018.)

But, ARES is still active! See the SEC’s May Report below!

** NEW WEST VIRGINIA HAMS!

As of May 2, 2018:

Donald R Selbe, KE8JMS, Saint Albans, WV 25177-3615

Thomas M Lashley, KE8JMR, South Charleston, WV 25303-3004

David O Cook, KE8JOL, Martinsburg, WV 25401-1841

Curtis W Kelley, KE8JNB, Hedgesville, WV 25427-3230

George D Six, KE8JMT, Hurricane, WV 25526-8921

Matthew D Demoss, KE8JMP, Huntington, WV 25704-2736

Boris Mesits, KE8JLB, Huntington, WV 25714

Rita K Hess, KE8JJL, Bradley, WV 25818-0674

Teddy W Maxey, KE8JIM, Crab Orchard, WV 25827-1017

Francis D Leppar, KE8JLA, Weirton, WV 26062-5242

Edward F Close, KE8JNK, Williamstown, WV 26187-8233

Samuel A Talkington, KE8JIY, Bridgeport, WV 26330-7984

Abadi Albeladi, KE8JIZ, Morgantown, WV 26505-1136

Blaze Rogers, KE8JIR, Morgantown, WV 26505-2309

Kevin L Patrick, KE8JIW, Morgantown, WV 26505-2521

Jordan L Elder, KE8JJA, Morgantown, WV 26505-3900

David R Beam, KE8JIT, Morgantown, WV 26505-7539

Kevin M Tennant, KE8JIX, Morgantown, WV 26508-9169

Mark A Jerabek, KE8JIU, Pursglove, WV 26546-0304

Troy M Polen, KE8JOS, Fairmont, WV 26554-9268

Mark Suder, KE8JIS, Fairmont, WV 26554-9585

Congratulations! Welcome to the greatest hobby on Earth!!

CLUB PRESIDENTS – See someone above from your county? Invite them to a club meeting  and  FIELD DAY! Get them on the air and involved! (Addresses can be found at http://www.arrl.org/fcc/search)

** UPCOMING WEST VIRGINIA HAMFESTS

08/11/2018 | Tri-State ARA Hamfest

Location: Huntington, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Tri-State Amateur Radio Association
Website: http://www.orgsites.com/wv/taraclub/

08/24/2018 | West Virginia State Convention

Location: Weston, WV
Type: ARRL WV State Convention

Sponsor: West Virginia State Amateur Radio Council
Website: http://qsl.net/wvsarc/

 09/22/2018 | Coal Country ARC Hamfest 2018

Location: Madison, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Coal Country Amateur Radio Club
Website: http://www.wv8ccc.org

10/13/2018 | Parkersburg/Wood County Hamfest Location: Mineral Wells, WV
Type: ARRL Hamfest
Sponsor: Wood County Emergency Communications
Website: http://www.wc8ec.org

If your organization is conducting a Hamfest in West Virginia, please be sure to let the League know ASAP. Contact Gail Iannone, giannone@arrl.org.

** ON THE AIR EVENTS

June 2018
9-11     June VHF

16-17    WV QSO Party (information above)
16         Kids Day
23-24    Field Day

July 2018
14-15   IARU HF World Championship  

August 2018
4-5       222 MHz and Up Distance Contest
18-19   10 GHz & Up – Round 1
19        Rookie Roundup – RTTY

September 2018
8-10      September VHF   
15-16    10 GHz & Up - Round 2
29-30    EME - 2.3 GHz & Up

Get the details for ARRL contests at www.arrl.org/contest-calendar. You can find very detailed information on the current month’s contests in the “Contest Corral column of QST, or at www.arrl.org/contests.

** CLUB PROGRAM?

If you’re planning your club’s program schedule, and would like to have a WV Section ARRL Official present a program, send a request with the necessary date/time information to K8WV@arrl.org. We’ll get something set up!

** ARES MONTHLY SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATORS REPORT

1. ARRL Section West Virginia

2. Month April

3. Year 2018

4. Total number of ARES members 448

5. Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month 16

6. Number of ARES nets active 22

7. Number of nets with NTS liaison 16

8. Calls of DECs/ECs reporting W8DUQ KD8SKZ KD8AZC W8KTM

WV8BS KD8BMI KD8MIB KC8CSE N1EMP

WB8NSL KC8EHD KD8MIV WD8PAD

KD8LRZ KC8TUE WA8LLM

9a. Number of exercises & training sessions 58

9b. Person hours 438.8

10a. Number of public service events 7

10b. Person hours 100.5

11a. Number of emergency operations 0

11b. Person hours 0

12a Number of SKYWARN operations 0

12b. Person hours 0

13a. Total Activities 65

13b. Total person hours 535.3

Comments

Signature Michael Maxson W8SI

SEC West Virginia